preserving the spirit of place “genius loci” · “genius loci” the lancaster county,...

Preserving the Spirit of Place

“genius loci”

The Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Experience

Presented to:

Civic Tourism Conference II

Blackstone Valley, Rhode Island

October 15th-18th, 2008

By: Scott W. Standish

Lancaster County Planning Commission

Preserving our Spirit of PlacePreserving Our Spirit of Place

Preserving Our Spirit of Place

Lower SusquehannaLower SusquehannaLower SusquehannaLower Susquehanna River GorgeRiver GorgeRiver GorgeRiver Gorge

Preserving Our Sense of PlacePreserving Our Spirit of Place

The Susquehanna River –

An Outdoor Recreation Paradise


Susquehannock Settlement

Petroglyphs


Discovering Our

Heritage

First “Stories” in

the Region

Tangible Resources:

• Natural

• Cultural

• Historic


People & Places


Customs & TraditionsIntangible Resources:

Customs & Traditions

Food

Dance

Music

Storytelling


Our Spirit of Place

A Great Place to Live = A Great Place to Visit


Savannah, Georgia

Charleston, South Carolina

Annapolis, Maryland


“Tourism does not go to

a city that has lost

its soul.”

~ Arthur Frommer

Heritage Destinations


Trouble in Paradise?


Unmanaged Growth

and ChangeAgricultural Heritage

Natural Heritage


The Importance of our

Landscape

In the 1990’s, Lancaster

County was listed as one

of:

-The Nation’s 11 Most

Endangered Places

(National Trust for

Historic Preservation)

-The World’s 100 Most

Endangered Sites

(World Monuments

Watch)

Destination Management

Lancaster County’s

image as a mature

tourism destination


Unmanaged Tourism

Development

The Broadway show

Plain and Fancy (1955)

made the county a

tourism destination


Landis Valley Museum,

Manheim Township

While they have never

been ignored, the

historical treasures of

Lancaster County

usually have taken a

back seat to other

local attractions.

Heritage tourism

corrects that

oversight.

– Lancaster New Era

April 7, 1998


Tourist Area Cycle of

Evolution:

Rejuvenation,

Stagnation, or

Decline?

– A.W. Butler, “The Concept

of a Tourist Area Cycle of

Evolution: Implications for

Management of Resources,”

Canadian Geographer,

vol. 24, no. 1, 1980, p. 7



Growth Management“Great Place to Live”

&

Destination Management“Great Place to Visit”

The Comprehensive Plan for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Managing growth while preserving our natural and

historic resources and unique sense of place.

Envision Lancaster County

Heritage:

Designed to conserve

important cultural and

historic resources

Tourism:

Designed to create

future sustainable

tourism opportunities

and experiences

Tourism (2005)

Heritage (2006)


Extensive Public Involvement Process

• Advisory Committee

• Regional Municipal Meetings

• Surveys

• Newspaper survey

• Municipal survey

• Agency & Organization

survey

• Public Forums

• Visitor Survey (Tourism)


Civic Engagement in the Planning Process


Involving residents in

future tourism

development is essential

Build on Lancaster County’s Strength

as a Tourism Destination

• Protect, Preserve, and Enhance Lancaster

County’s Authentic Natural, Cultural,

Historic and Architectural Heritage Assets

and Distinctive “Sense of Place” as the

Foundation for Future Sustainable Tourism

Development and Marketing

• Focus Resources on Prioritized Areas and

Corridors that have the Greatest Potential

for Tourism Development

• Establish the City of Lancaster as a New

and Exciting Tourism Product

Product Development

Strategy


Tourism Element


The Lancaster County

Heritage Pilot Project

It’s a community-based approach to

sustainable tourism development that is:

• Founded on the preservation and

interpretation of an area’s authentic

natural, historic, and cultural heritage;

and

• Directly beneficial to local residents, the

place, and the visitor.

What Is

Heritage Tourism?


Partners

• Lancaster County Planning Commission

(LCPC) (public)

• PA Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau

(PDCVB) (private)

• Lancaster-York Heritage Region (LYHR)

(non profit)

Partners in

Heritage Tourism

Development,

Promotion, and

Marketing


Lancaster County Heritage Tourism Program


Lancaster County

Heritage Tourism

Program

Authenticity

Showing a direct link to the heritage of

Lancaster County

Interpretation

Explaining the significance of that

heritage to the public

Visitor Readiness

Having high standards of appearance

and operation

Plus... Each resource type also has

additional criteria of its own

Designation

Criteria for

Heritage

Resources


Original Categories

• Heritage Sites

• Heritage Services

• Heritage Events


Categories Authentic Heritage Resources


• Heritage Tours

• Heritage Routes

• Heritage Products

• Living Treasures

New Categories

From The Little House, by Virginia Lee Burton (Houghton Mifflin, 1942)

It is not enough to just save isolated

resources and landmarks while losing the

larger landscape.


Preserve the

Larger Landscape


• Heritage Communities

• Heritage Landscapes

Additional New

Categories


Program Logos

and Certification

Seals Program Logo

Certification Seal


Hang Tags for ProductsWays to Display

the Seal:

Signs, Banners

Product Tag

Program Overview


New Publications for

Heritage Resource

Managers

-Program Manual

-Telling our Stories

(Interpretation Manual)

-Graphics Style Guide


Other Tourism Initiatives


• Discover

• Conserve

• Preserve

• Celebrate

• Growth management and destination management

are inextricably linked together

• Community involvement is essential to successful

tourism development

• Partnerships are integral between the public, private

and non-profit sectors

• Recognition programs for authentic resources

enhances a community’s sense of place and community

pride


What We Have

Learned?

Preserving our Spirit of Place

A Great Place to Live = A Great Place to Visit

preserving the spirit of place “genius loci” · “genius loci” the lancaster county,...

Documents